U-46 student in court twice

Friday was a busy legal day for the 16-year-old Elgin boy accused of stabbing an Elgin High School teacher.

In juvenile court, Angel Facio of the 600 block of Jefferson Ave. appeared on charges of aggravated battery and unlawful restraint.

Prosecutors allege that on Jan. 16, Facio grabbed a 13-year old neighbor on Jefferson Avenue and threw her to the ground. Facio then placed one hand around her throat and forced his other hand into her mouth, prosecutors said.

Facio's parents, Angel Sr. and Sinthia Facio, were at the brief juvenile hearing with Judge Wiley Edmonson.

Edmonson set a status hearing date of April 8.

Moving to adult court, Facio appeared before Judge Leonard Wojtecki on six counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault.

The offenses occurred during an August attack on an 8-year old girl, Assistant State's Attorney Christine Bayer said.

Because of the nature of the accusation, Facio was automatically transferred to adult court.

Wojtecki set a status hearing, also on April 8, to hear arguments on the state's motion to obtain a sample of Facio's DNA. Public defender Tina Lewis was appointed to represent Facio.

Facio is being held at the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center in Chicago on attempted murder and other offenses in the Jan. 18 stabbing of consumer science teacher Carolyn Gilbert.

Gilbert was in her classroom after early dismissal from semester exams when a coat was thrown over her and she was stabbed with a steak knife, resulting in the loss of vision in one eye, police have said.

Judge Paul Stralka will hear arguments March 26 on whether Facio will be tried as a juvenile or an adult in the stabbing case.

He could rule on those arguments April 9, said Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the state's attorney's office.